[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 195 (Friday, October 9, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52235-52236]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-24392]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Office of the Secretary


Findings of Research Misconduct

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Office of Research Integrity 
(ORI) and the Assistant Secretary for Health have taken final action in 
the following case:
    Norma Couvertier, APT Foundation: Based on the report of an 
investigation conducted by the APT Foundation and additional analysis 
conducted by ORI in

[[Page 52236]]

its oversight review, ORI found that Norma Couvertier, former Research 
Assistant II, APT Foundation in New Haven, Connecticut, engaged in 
research misconduct in research supported by National Institute of Drug 
Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), award R37 DA015969.
    Specifically, ORI found that Ms. Couvertier engaged in research 
misconduct by falsifying and fabricating data that were reported on 
Participant Urine Monitoring and Breathalyzer Result Forms (CRFs) 
completed by the Respondent for thirty two (32) of the enrolled study 
participants in the computer Based Training in Cognitive Behavioral 
Therapy (CBT4CBT) research study. A total of 253 alcohol breathalyzer 
(BALS) results were recorded for the 32 participants as being 0.000 
indicating no alcohol detected, rather than the code 999 used when no 
breathalyzer test was done.
    ORI also found that Ms. Couvetier, on 253 occasions, with 32 
different study participants, falsified alcohol breathalyzer test 
results and knowingly and consistently entered a false negative test 
(indicated by 0.000) rather than identifying the result as a missing 
data collection (indicated by code 999).
    ORI acknowledges Ms. Couvetier's verbal admissions and willingness 
to cooperate and assist during the APT Foundation's investigation.
    Ms. Couvertier has entered into a Voluntary Settlement Agreement in 
which she has voluntarily agreed, for a period of three (3) years, 
beginning on September 18, 2009:
    (1) To exclude herself from serving in any advisory capacity to the 
U.S. Public Health Service (PHS), including but not limited to service 
on any PHS advisory committee, board, and/or peer review committee, or 
as a consultant;
    (2) that any institution that submits an application for PHS 
support for a research project on which the Respondent's participation 
is proposed or that uses her in any capacity on PHS-supported research 
or that submits a report of PHS-funded research in which she is 
involved must concurrently submit a plan for supervision of her duties 
to ORI. The supervisory plan must be designed to ensure the integrity 
of her research contribution. Respondent agreed that she will not 
participate in any PHS-supported research until such a supervisory plan 
is approved by ORI.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Director, Division of Investigative 
Oversight, Office of Research Integrity, 1101 Wootton Parkway, Suite 
750, Rockville, MD 20852. (240) 453-8800.

John Dahlberg,
Director, Division of Investigative Oversight, Office of Research 
Integrity.
[FR Doc. E9-24392 Filed 10-8-09; 8:45 am]
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